Friendly Advice
by Walrus
Summary: Lee and Harry V. Thornton discuss Amanda


"Scarecrow and Mrs. King" is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. I retain rights to the plot, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended. 

Authors Note: A while back, while desperately trying to avoid some work I had to do, I was watching the Scarecrow and Mrs. King episode where Harry V. Thornton tells Amanda that Lee said he "would follow her blind though a blizzard at midnight." That seemed to me such an "un-Lee-like" thing for Lee to have said. Anyway, I started to think how much fun it would have been to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation, and this was the result... 

Friendly Advice 

"Well, well, well, Lee my boy! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Harry V. Thornton smiled as Lee Stetson entered his garden. When Harry had been the director at the agency and Lee a young agent Lee would often sit in Harry's office and use the older man as a type of sounding board. Lee never asked for advice per say, he was much too independent for that. Instead he just talked and listened to Harry's responses with the well-trained ear of an agent. Since Harry had left the agency the chats had become fewer and farther between, but whenever there was something on Lee's mind Harry could be sure he'd come around just to hear what Harry had to say. 

"Nothing special," Lee replied "just thought I drop by and see what you were up to." 

Harry gave an inward sigh. He was getting too old for these games. Lee always pretended that it was 'just a social visit'. Harry would then have to pick and pry until he was finally able to drag out the information Lee was trying to share with him. In a way, it was a perverse form of agency tactics - two agents doing battle over the walls that held Lee's emotions. But Harry knew nothing good could come from pushing Lee. No, he would just have to sit and wait, looking for some clue as to the real reason Lee Stetson was sitting in his flower garden. 

"Just watering my flowers, you know orchids are very delicate flowers." Harry put the watering can down and looked at his friend, "Been working on anything exciting lately?" Although Harry had been out of active duty for years, he would never tire of hearing all about the excitement and intrigue that seemed to follow his favorite agent. 

Lee wandered aimlessly through the garden stopping to gingerly finger one of the flowers. Harry returned to watering his plants knowing that Lee would talk when he was ready. 

"Paul Barnes retired." Lee stated simply as he resumed his nervous pacing around the garden. 

"Really?" Harry inquired. "I never thought I'd see the day when the Wizard would leave OZ." 

"Yeah, he almost didn't get the chance. Sardayich came really close to destroying the career of a good man." 

"Sardayich?" Harry questioned. 

"Sardayich," Lee repeated. "Harry, he was the Tin Man. I figured it out just in time. Of course, Amanda had it all figured out long before I did." The soft smile that played across Lee's lips at the mention of her name gave Harry the clue he'd been waiting for. 

"Amanda?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "As in Mrs. King the 'always-under-foot housewife' you've mentioned before?" 

"Yeah, that's the one." Lee smiled again almost unconsciously as he ran his hand through his hair. With that the floodgates seemed to open. "This was a hard case for me Harry, you know how personal the OZ network is to me. Amanda was there every step of the way. I even visited the agency's resident shrink because she said I should." Lee sunk into a near-by lawn chair shaking his head. "I've never trusted anyone enough to tell them the details of the last OZ mission. But with Amanda, it was so easy. I trust her Harry, and that scares the hell out of me. I trust her more than I've ever trusted anyone in my whole life. Her instincts are unbelievable. I ... I'd follow her blind through a blizzard at midnight." The last sentence seemed to pour from inside him as he searched for a way to explain the way he felt about Amanda. Before he even knew what had happened the words were out, leaving him no chance to censor his feelings. 

Harry forced himself to stifle the laugh that threatened to rise up in his throat. He had never known Lee to be so poetic when talking about a woman. For that matter, he'd never known Lee Stetson to be poetic about anything. Lee was an agent through and through - he stuck to the facts and nothing more. 'Heaven help us all,' he thought, 'Lee Stetson's in love.' 

"'Blind through a blizzard at midnight' huh?" Harry inquired, "That's kind of strong wouldn't you say?" 

"No," Lee's voice took on a soft, far away tone. "She's beautiful Harry, deep brown eyes and chestnut hair that falls gently on her shoulders. Beautiful." Lee seemed a million miles away lost in thought, once again forgetting to check his words. 

"You don't say." Harry could no longer hide the laughter that was building deep within him. 

"What?" Lee looked up horrified at how much he had revealed, "What's so funny?" 

"Oh it's nothing," the older man replied. "It's just that I've listened to you complain about Amanda King for almost two years. Now here you are, in my garden, singing her praises. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were falling in love with the housewife turned spy." The twinkle in Harry's eye was hard to miss. Lee had been solo so long, and there was no denying Harry's enjoyment in watching his friend squirm. 'It's about time,' Harry thought to himself. 

"Love? Harry, that's ridiculous. I do not love Amanda King. She's nothing like the women I usually date. She's stubborn, and she's frustrating - nobody can boil my blood faster than Amanda." 

"I do believe the boy doth protest to much, " Harry quipped. 

"Harry...." Lee warned. 

"Alright, alright!" Harry threw up his hands in mock surrender. "You win. Under no circumstances are you in love with the beautiful woman who you'd follow 'blind through a blizzard at midnight'. That's a good one Lee, reminiscent of Fitzgerald - remind me to write it down later." 

"Harry, I didn't come here to be harassed," Lee scolded. 

"Well, then why did you come here?" Harry asked knowing that he was pushing his luck. 

"I..." suddenly Lee couldn't remember why he had found himself in Harry's garden. "I came to tell you about Paul," Lee recovered quickly. 

"Oh, right - Paul." Harry allowed his friend the cover although they both knew that with the security clearance Harry still held he would have heard about Paul within a few days. "Thanks for the update. Anything else you'd like to discuss, Scarecrow?" Harry asked giving Lee one last chance to come clean. 

"Nope," Lee turned to leave giving Harry his best poker face. "That's all." 

"Alright," Harry replied. "Don't be a stranger." 

"I won't," Lee answered exiting the garden and climbing into his car. As he drove home Harry's voice kept ringing in his ears, 'If I didn't know better I'd say you were falling in love....' In love? With Amanda? No, he was grateful for her care and concern on the Paul Barnes case. That was all - wasn't it? 


End file.
